Village Approves Signing of New Civil Service Employee Contract

After prolonged negotiations left Village employees working without a contract since 2011, this week Massapequa Park Mayor James Altadonna announced that an agreement has finally been reached between the two parties.

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, the Mayor was authorized to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Civil Service Employees Association for a three-year Union contract, dated from June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2014.

According to Altadonna, the details of the new contract are as follows: a 3.5 percent salary increase for Village employees for 2011 and 2012, and a 3.75 percent increase for 2013. When questioned about what this new contract could do to the Village’s tax rate, Altadonna said that the increases had been budgeted and were not a concern.

“It will be within the cap,” he said, referring to the New York State tax cap law. “However, there are other issues that may affect the budget next year, depending on how much the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimburses us for our expenses from Hurricane Sandy.”  

The Village Board also approved the issuance of serial bonds totaling in the amount of $325,530 to replace two trucks that they had lost during Hurricane Sandy. Altadonna said that the Village is still waiting to hear on reimbursement from both FEMA and their insurance company regarding this issue.

“The trucks were old...1995,” he said. “We are entitled to something, and we are getting something.”

The Village also presented awards at the meeting to participants in the 2012 Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting participants, as well as those who pitched in at the Massapequa Park Holiday Open House.